


Sending Souls Up (We're Heaven Sent)

by Omegatits



Series: CHOKECHAIN [1]
Category: A.C.E (Beat Interactive Band)
Genre: Angst, Bk is being stalked, Blood Kink, Blood and Gore, Blood and Violence, Bloody Sex, But they are not main characters, Consensual But Not Safe Or Sane, Creampie, Heavy gore, Knotting, M/M, Mentions of being stalked, Minor Character Death, Monster sex, Monster!Yuchan, Painful Sex, Stalking, Witch AU, Witch!Byeongkwan, Witches and Monsters, brief mentions of the other members - Freeform, but not by yuchan, wolf like monster
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-22 20:27:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30044262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Omegatits/pseuds/Omegatits
Summary: “I can’t help you.”“No!” Yuchan shouts, slamming his fists on the counter. The wood cracks - just a hair, but Byeongkwan hears it and places a bundle of herbs on the counter.Byeongkwan glares at the man, playing off a shock in his response to being denied, "No? You’re telling me no?! I don’t need your drama tainting my business or lifestyle. You need me, not the other way around. So, Kang Yuchan, you don’t tell me no.”
Relationships: Kang Yuchan | Chan/Kim Byeongkwan
Series: CHOKECHAIN [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2210238
Comments: 5
Kudos: 19





	Sending Souls Up (We're Heaven Sent)

**Author's Note:**

> ** Trigger warnings **  
> Please be aware of the tags listed above, and be aware that there may be more not listed above that is included in this fic. Reading ahead is an understanding of this.  
> Additionally, Yuchan and Byeongkwan will fuck next to two dead bodies. You can skip this scene, there is plenty of build up to it so you will not miss it.
> 
> For ~mood music~, this series' playlist can be listened to here: [Chokechain Playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5v7naJnXs2XdldCrS6VPPJ?si=Am9C6VutSP6pUIA3YT2HuA)
> 
> And a quick thank you to all of the support for this au I've received from all of you. I'm so glad to be able to finally share this with everyone who's been waiting for it.

The air around him chills him to the bone like the suffocating humidity that rolls in before rain. Goosebumps and hair stands up right on his arms as a warning of eyes watching him. They’re always watching from the shadows - hidden in the trees. Leaving him feeling exposed to their silent judgement.

Light floods the darkness clinging to his soaked clothes - the source of it coming from behind him. It’s white, bright and blinding for a moment as the rays light up the grass his bare feet stand in. His breath comes out in a mist, the fog of it glowing under the light as he turns to face the car.

He expects the car - expects the lingering unease of waiting for whoever is inside to come out. Reveal themselves. They sit there in the shared silence of their onlookers every night. Just watching Byeongkwan. However, this time when he turns to face the vehicle there is no one in the car. No shadowy face hidden by the blinding headlights.

His eyes fall instead on the monster standing in front of the car, right between the headlights. It towers over him, panting heavy and hard adding to the humidity between them. Its fur is black like the shadows between the trees and the night sky above them. Black ichor drips in thick strands like drool from the fur, seeping into the soil it stands on and killing everything it touches. A clawed paw… hand - it has fingers, mangled and dangerous - reaches out for Byeongkwan, and although everything in him screams to run, he can’t move his feet to escape. The ichor oozes from its skin, and Byeongkwan can feel it moving between his toes through the grass as it’s reach comes mere centimeters from his face.

For the first time he feels fear, rather than confusion, as the creature reaches for him. It’s the first time anything's tried touching him in the dream.

It’s mouth opens, and Byeongkwan’s ears fill with static and a high pitched squealing that sends a wave of nausea over him. His legs grow weak, tired from holding him up, but rather than falling his feet sink into the dirt, pulling him down slowly into the constricting earth. Still he can’t manage to get his feet to move and take him far away.

It tries to speak. He can barely make out the word.

H̨̛̠̦̲̝̣̙͕͔͉̳̩̝͖͇̭̱̳̫̹̹̮͓̪̱̘̣̍̎̃̿͒͊̆́̐͊͆͌̑̈́̀̽̃́̾̽̃̐͒̈́̓̚̕͟͜͝͠ͅͅͅȨ͕͉͎̞̟̫͕̞͎̳̼͖̪͙̜̣̭̳̼̼̦̞̤̠̝͙̮́̿̾̈́̅̀̾̑̏̓͗͗͒͗̑̂̅̆͐̇̃̓̚̕͘͜͞͠͠͡ͅL̡̨̳̫͖̥̱͈̪̠̥̙͇̣̱̭̭͉̻̙͎̠̘͎̭̥̗͑̃̀̐̓̓̆̇̒͒̉̿͋͐̆͗͌̈͋̚͘͘̚͜͟͠͝͡͝͠͠͞ͅP̛̦̥͇̖̳͈͇͎̣̟̼̼̼̦̯͕̲̩̦͍̜̘̘̗̫͍̬̻͂̐̓̐̾͛̐̎̀̑̋͒̏͂̎͊̔̉̎͋͂͘͘̚͜͟͡͠͞

He wakes up drenched in sweat and his sheets soaked in the proof of the terror he felt staring down the mouth of teeth. It’s the fourth time he’s had the same dream in the last two weeks, however, it is the first the person inside the car has been replaced with the creature.

Laying in bed he can feel he’s not getting back to sleep. The thrumming of his heart in his chest keeps his body trembling - he was not going to find any comfort in restful sleep anyway - and instead slides out of bed. He’ll need to change his sheets and pillow later, but for now the energy he had was just enough to walk to his coffee table and pick up his deck.

The Hermit, reversed. The Hierophant. The High Priestess…..

He stares at the cards, takes in the spread answering his question about his dream. “I don’t have the energy for this,” he mumbles, hands falling over his face. Byeongkwan sits like this - curled up, hands over his face, and clothes soaked through - until the chill of the air around him makes the wet uncomfortable. Sticky. Cold. He’s so sick of being cold.

Showering cleans him of the sweat, warms him to the bone. However, it doesn’t comfort the lingering unease knowing he’s going to have to deal with this dream at some point. Perhaps he could make a call to Donghun and ask more questions. The problem with that is he already knows the tone Donghun would give him for coming to him over something Byeongkwan already knows will need attention.

_“You’re coming to me so I’ll tell you that it’s nothing - just a dream probably. But you know that’s not true, which is actually why you’re calling.”_

He would be right too… If Byeongkwan did call him it would be just to humor an idea he knows he created so he wouldn’t have to deal with whatever was looking for him. And that’s all he is doing is trying to run from responsibility…. In his dream he couldn’t run either…

So much for his shower…

Byeongkwan spends his morning cleaning up what he can in his apartment, the eclectic mess of his things mixing in with merchandise that needs to be worked into the shop his apartment was sitting above.

Boxes end up stacked up by the stairs for him to take down, and everything else is thrown into new, not necessarily put away spots. Dirty clothes end up in a pile next to his bed, clean in a pile on his bed. His deck is placed in the mess of his alter - and for a half a second he ponders actually cleaning up his altar.

Donghun’s voice comes to him again, reminding him that his altar can be seen as a reflection of his mind. Donghun is right, but again, not with him in the moment, so Byeongkwan turns his back on the mess. He could get away with one more day of not tidying it up. He’ll get to it.

He carries the boxes downstairs to the shop next and places them on the floor behind the counter.

In his rituals, before he can open the shop, he checks the bottles hanging around his store, redraws any fading marks in the lining around the walls, and lights a candle. All important to his routine. Every morning. Everyday. And once finished he flips the neon light in the window of his shop.

* * *

The day is slow, and as usual the rain starts around noon leaving the shop dark and lit only by a few weak bulbs. When he was a child he’d been taught clouds trapped the heat, so when it rains it gets warmer in the area. It’s one of the ways his mother could tell when rain was coming. But, for Byeongkwan it was always cold. The thick humid air brought a chill to his spine - like a warning that with the rain came unease. It always unsettled him.

Customers come and go - looking for ingredients for a spell and gifts for deities for the coming holidays - but business slows once the rain starts. It gives him a second to finish putting away the new merchandise and listen to the rain pattering at the windows.

When the bell above his door rings, Byeongkwan freezes where he’s crouched behind the counter. The feeling that crawls into the shop is dark and thick - like a black slime slowly oozing through the cracks of his wards. And yet, none of his wards stop the person from walking in.

“Hello?” a man calls out, looking around the shop.

Suddenly Byeongkwan’s mind is running through all the spells he knows and any defensive wards he can put up quickly were the person in the shop truly there for him.

“Hello?” The man repeats, and Byeongkwan grunts, to signal where he was before standing.

Before him is an unfamiliar face. A young man, probably no older than himself, soaked to the bone from the rain outside. His clothes are nice though, and not the usual from his customers. Mixed with the dreadful feelings hanging off him, Byeongkwan knows this man is not his usual. But nowhere does he see the sigil of a coven.

“Can I help you with something?” Byeongkwan asks with a hint of scepticism.

“Are you Byeongkwan?” the man asks, stepping toward the counter. The practitioner takes a small step back as he approaches. Water on his clothes forms a puddle on the wood top when he places his hands flat over it. Each drip of water from his soaked hair is loud in Byeongkwan’s on alert ears.

It takes him a moment to respond, and under his watchful gaze, the man fidgets uncontrollably. “Who’s asking?”

“Me.. I need his help. I was told to come to him, and I’ve run out of options.”

“That doesn’t answer my question. Who are you?” he hisses. The man’s eyes go wide, and then he pulls his wet arms off the counter. Whatever trouble he was in, Byeongkwan’s tone was enough to spook him somewhat.

“Yuchan. Kang Yuchan.”

He didn’t know that name. Had never heard it, and Byeongkwan knew everyone from before, including prospects…. So, this man wasn’t coming for him from his previous coven. He just was dripping in something horrid.

“You’ve got something wrong with you.” That much is obvious so far.

“I.. I really do, I don’t know how to explain it,” Yuchan starts. Still he can’t bring himself to make eye contact with Byeongkwan.

“I could feel it the moment you stepped into my shop,” Byeongkwan explains. He steps forward again, and takes a slow deep breath - calming himself with the confirmation that he was safe. They hadn’t found him. “So, Kang Yuchan, describe your problem to me.”

Yuchan takes a second to look around the shop - his eyes look buggy, and dark circles bruise his bags - and looks back to Byeongkwan. “I.. I think I’ve been cursed.” So, Yuchan wasn’t even a member of their community. Definitely didn’t walk in their circles, or the concept of a curse would make him chuckle, just as it did Byeongkwan.

Byeongkwan tilts his head and lets a smile turn his lips up. A curse would definitely bring trouble and inconveniences, but the aura Yuchan is dragging around is not one burdened by a curse. No, now with Yuchan sitting in front of Byeongkwan, and Byeongkwan less on guard it’s easier to feel the edges of Yuchan and the beginnings of the darkness that clings to him. A separate entity perhaps, or a crude splitting of himself - no doubt not done by himself on purpose. Either way, whatever it was clinging to him so desperately, Yuchan knew nothing about it.

“Describe what’s going on then. Perhaps your misfortunes will reveal your problem.” Or his behaviors revealing what exactly he was sharing himself with.

“When I get emotional,” he pauses, thinking about his next words carefully. “like… too worked up, or overwhelmed in any way… I don’t become myself anymore.”

“That sounds like a problem a therapist needs to help you with,” Byeongkwan sighs. Though something is wrong with Yuchan - because depression or anxiety doesn’t linger like this - mood swings just isn’t an answer or explanation.

Yuchan frantically shakes his head and reaches out to grab Byeongkwan’s hand as he turns away. “No! Like… My body changes and I turn into… Something.”

Byeongkwan looks back briefly at Yuchan and asks, “Like.. a big dog?”

“Yeah.. I think anyway. But it's not like… a werewolf. I’m not a werewolf.”

There is an air that hangs over Byeongkwan’s shoulders then. A feeling of hot humid breath on the back of his neck, and he’s reminded of the ichor that drug him into the ground in his dream.

Help

Here was the man haunting his nights for weeks now, and Byeongkwan had a choice to make. Help the beast, or mind his business...

He said it was triggered by emotions... Whatever it was. “I can’t help you.”

Yuchan’s face falls, and he quickly shakes his head at the witch. “N-no, no, but.. But I’ve been looking for you for weeks! I was told if anyone could help me it’d only be you.”

“Whatever you did to get this creature clinging to you, you probably deserve this. And I’m not about to piss of a witch with the power to turn you into a drooling fucking dog," dismisses Byeongkwan with a wave of his hand. Showing how little he was worried about Yuchan and his problem, Byeongkwan turns to go back to pulling his merchandise out of boxes and ignores the confused ‘huh?’ from Yuchan.

“I didn’t do anything.” Yuchan is firm now. Byeongkwan sees the vein in his neck first, and then the tensing in Yuchan’s jaw. But it’s not the response Byeongkwan’s looking for. This wasn’t emotional, this was controlled.

He scoffs, “That’s what they all say. And then it turns out you tried killing their mother, or hurt a sister. I’m not getting involved. So you should probably go," and points back at the door.

“No!” Yuchan shouts, slamming his fists on the counter. The wood cracks - just a hair, but Byeongkwan hears it and places a bundle of herbs on the counter.

He glares at the man, playing off a shock in his response to being denied, "No? You’re telling me no?! I don’t need your drama tainting my business or lifestyle. You need me, not the other way around. So, Kang Yuchan, you don’t tell me no.”

“I didn’t do anything!” Yuchan insists - his eyes brim with tears, and Byeongkwan can see he’s holding back as best as he can whatever screaming is going on in his head. His fists bleed onto the wood - his nails sinking deep into his palms.

Byeongkwan watches him with a calm air around him. That’s the strange thing about his fears… Even not knowing what Yuchan was or what he was about to unleash, knowing he hadn’t been discovered by his past, Byeongkwan faces the danger head on.

“Let go, Yuchan… I need to see it,” he speaks calmly, reigning in the ever so slight trembling in his own hands.

The permission is all Yuchan needs to realize what Byeongkwan’s after - the first crack of bone is loud. Yuchan doubles over, hissing to try and hold back his usual howls of pain. The rest of him hunches, disfiguring and readjusting before the witch’s eyes. Fur bursts from skin, and blood drips from Yuchan’s mouth as his jaw snaps and grows.

It’s a horrifying sight, watching the man be torn apart from the inside out, but he watches - every second of it - until he’s faced with a row of sharp canines drooling blood onto the floor. It inches closer to him - yellow eyes following the rise of his chest when he breathes in. Just like the air outside, and the air in his dream, it's breath is hot and humid in Byeongkwan's face.

“Well… This is interesting,” he mutters. The beast growls slowly. “You’re still in there… but, how hard are you trying to hold back the beast?” It growls again, much louder this time. He could take Byeongkwan’s head in one quick bite…

“I’ll help you.”

The bottles hanging around his shop turn black - the herbs and rocks inside them become a thick liquid, much like Yuchan's drool.

* * *

The necklace he gives to Yuchan takes a week to make. It’s a little sealing charm to help him keep the beast reigned in, and without knowing exactly what it was Yuchan was becoming, this was the best Byeongkwan could do. Seal it. “This is just going to help keep it reigned in. You'll still have emotions and feel, but.. this will at least keep it contained so you won't have to worry about shifting at work or something."

Yuchan takes the necklace while he sobs. Though it was simple for Byeongkwan to make, seeing the relief he has given Yuchan hurts. It’s a small thing, but to Yuchan it’s his life… His chance to be normal. A desire Byeongkwan is familiar with.

* * *

Next time Yuchan comes in he's soaked from the rain again. It’s been raining more lately. While it’s seasonal rain it’s just as unsettling.

Byeongkwan feels his aura strongly again when he steps into the shop, and tenses around the darkness that settles in around the walls and the seams of himself. He can see the little things Yuchan clings too to keep himself from falling apart completely. And with his breakdown the necklace wasn’t working the way Byeongkwan knew it was supposed too.

Yuchan’s fingers squeeze his hips tight - bruising - as his throat rumbles. His breath is hot, humid against the shell of Byeongkwan’s ear, and brings chills down the back of his neck.

His shirt is soaked in rain and stretched thin over Yuchan’s cracking ribs. It’d be a sickening sight if Byeongkwan hadn’t seen far worse of Yuchan already. The wet shirt soaks into Byeongkwan’s hoodie, leaving a cold wet spot on his own skin as Yuchan pushes him up on the counter. Byeongkwan scrambles to move with the man’s hands, and stabilize himself - not because Yuchan needs his help, his strength is enough to lift him with no problems.

“I-it’s not… working,” Yuchan groans between thick fangs growing in his jaw. Blood flows from his gums - straining as they grow and push against his other teeth. He can’t stop drooling. It soaks into the shoulder of his shirt. It’s hot - a contrast to the wet spots from the rain.

“I can see that.” He’s calm, collected even in the face of a maw that could tear him open with ease. The push and grip of claws sinking into his waist. “This side of you i-” he chokes on the words as Yuchan’s presses himself between Byeongkwan’s thighs. So close… Too close. Yuchan’s body tenses when he breathes in. “-Is stronger than I expected…. W-we just need to make you a stronger charm.”

"Y-you shmell... fffunny," Yuchan growls into Byeongkwan's ear, ignoring the witch’s attempt to explain what was happening. His arousal. Yuchan was smelling the result of their closeness and Byeongkwan's underlined fear. An odd reaction, arousal from feeling his heart pounding to hard in his ears. But it's there, and the closer Yuchan tries to get, hands holding Byeongkwan close as he's sniffed, the harder he grows.

"Y-yuchan," Byeongkwan whispers, hands leaving where he's gripped the edge of the counter top to cup the nape of the beast's neck. Yuchan pulls his head away from Byeongkwan's neck and stares at the witch with confusion. His lips barely close around the thick fangs that have grown into his mouth, and his eyes are far too human still. He looks to Byeongkwan for an explanation. What did he want? Byeongkwan isn't sure when he asks himself...

"Touch me."

He can see the gears turning as Yuchan processes the words, putting together the request and the scent in the air between them. Why Byeongkwan says it he himself doesn’t fully understand, but he doesn’t shy away from the tightness growing in his chest at the thought that Yuchan might. That his hands - dangerous but careful - could take him apart. Yuchan’s whimper sounds the most human he's sounded since crowding Byeongkwan up against the counter. Clawed hands drag down from his hips to palm curiously at the bulge pressed against his tight denim pants. No hiding himself now.

With his hand on Byeongkwan and the human spreading his legs to give Yuchan more room between them, Yuchan tucks his face back into the warmth of Byeongkwan's neck. Byeongkwan shivers when he feels teeth, thick and sharp, curiously run over his skin. The tease of a bite Yuchan holds back on.

Byeongkwan trembles - unable to hold back the growing fear and arousal mixing up inside him. All he can manage is carding his fingers through the fur growing on the back of Yuchan's neck. Grips it tightly and pulls when Yuchan rubs the heel of his palm into Byeongkwan's dick. Yuchan growls against his throat and Byeongkwan whimpers so weakly. It’s vulnerable, and Byeongkwan questions why he lets himself show it. Why was he… eager?

Crowded in - trapped between Yuchan and the cabinets on his counter - Byeongkwan hooks his heel into Yuchan's thigh and tugs him in closer. Though he can't smell Yuchan's arousal, he can feel it then. Hard, heavy. the urging of Byeongkwan encourages Yuchan then to rut his clothed crotch against Byeongkwan's leg.

"B-byeongkwan," he rumbles between his fangs, and Kwan closes his eyes. Keeps his fist tight in the fur so Yuchan can't look at him. Can't see the moral struggles he was going through on his face. Not that his smell didn't give him away likely. "Byeo-"

"Shut up. Please shut up and just fucking touch me," he interrupts. The beast growls again. His hands freeze. Byeongkwan's fingers grip his nape a little tighter.

Yuchan grabs his hips in both hands and drags him off the counter with ease. There’s a quick moment that Byeongkwan scrambles to find his footing, trying not to fall or knock himself too hard against the counter. He grunts when Yuchan twists him and turns him around to face the counter - shoving him up against it as he snarls into Byeongkwan’s ear.

The tug of his pants is intimidating, and Byeongkwan gets a second to push himself back to unbutton his jeans before Yuchan’s pulling them down his thighs. Teeth settle in against his back side, a slow drag of fangs against his skin as Yuchan’s claws ghost back up his legs.

Byeongkwan buries his face into his arms, finally caving and bending over the counter, and huffs. His nerves are all on edge, and being so exposed in front of Yuchan leaves his legs shaking before the other man has even really touched him. And every second that passes, Beyongkwan’s face grows hotter. His embarrassment burns his face.

He doesn't expect the wet heat of Yuchan’s tongue pressing flat against his rim when Yuchan spreads his cheeks. Byeongkwan’s voice cracks when he moans and his legs spread a little further. Unsure of himself, Byeongkwan reaches back and takes a fist of Yuchan’s hair and pulls lightly. The pull urges Yuchan further, no shame or fear present in the other man.

Though Byeongkwan initially intended for Yuchan to pause - give him a second to process this closeness - the thrust of his tongue, stretching him on the muscle, leaves Byeongkwan’s head scrambling. His hand pulls Yuchan’s hair again, this time encouraging the attention of his tongue. And, after every one of Byeongkwan’s gasped moans, Yuchan whines into him.

Drool runs thick down the back of Byeongkwan’s legs. He slides so smooth and easy into him, and Byeongkwan loses himself in the feeling of Yuchan’s tongue. Doesn’t register when teeth get thicker, and claws sharper.

When Yuchan stands up, leaving Byeongkwan trembling on his legs, he presses his chest into the smaller man’s. Nuzzles against the side of his head and lets out a huff that sticks, humid and hot, against his cheek. The touch of Yuchan’s face sends a jolt of surprise through Byeongkwan - fur touching him, rather than skin.

Yuchan’s heavy breathing continues as the beast moves around Byeongkwan - the witch avoids looking back, unsure of himself, how he’ll be able to handle what he’ll see. But he knows what he feels, and his cock is big, almost intimidatingly so. Byeongkwan doesn't have to look behind him to feel how it spreads his cheeks and ruts up. "Fuck... Just... " He can't finish the request. Instead he just presses his forehead to the cool countertop and rocks back against Yuchan.

Despite how slow Yuchan breaches him, and how much prep went into fucking him on his tongue, the witch hisses and grips the counter's edge tight enough for his knuckles to go white. He whimpers a soft, "Sh-shiit," and squeezes his eyes shut. Has to keep them closed as Yuchan settles inside him, and then drags his hips back.

His next thrust is hard - it pushes Byeongkwan's hips into the counters edge and pulls another loud whimper from him. The slide is easy enough, worked open and full of drool and spit. But the stretch was still so much. So close to too much.

Yuchan's breath is hot on his back as the man leans over top of him and thrusts again. Again. And again. His little grunts and grumbles seem out of his control, and Byeongkwan tries to focus on how soft they sounded. How human and desperate the growls come out of Yuchan seem. And then how the claws and fur ruts against his ass... how it feels to have fur touching his back - a muzzle nosing at his hair.

Yuchan fucks him breathless and mindless. There’s no rhythm to it, leaving Byeongkwan scrambling again at the counter as the stretch pulling against his rim grows wider. Yuchan’s hips continue to rock hard into him, but as the stretch grows each thrust grows more shallow. Still the force of each thrust and the grip of Yuchan’s hands pull Byeongkwan off his feet. As far as he stretches his toes, they still don’t reach the floor.

The only warning Byeongkwan get’s Yuchan’s cumming is the stillness that hits and pulse he feels. That’s all it takes for Byeongkwan to lose himself and cum as well, fucked out and exhausted as he hangs by the knot inside him. The hot breath against Byeongkwan’s back doesn’t come from a muzzle, but claws still hold his hips tightly - the sinking of those claws into his flesh he can feel then, once the high starts to crash down. He’s still a messy mix between beast and human.

“I’m sorry,” Yuchan whispers. Byeongkwan can’t find it in him to respond. He’s exhausted, tired, but doesn’t feel Yuchan has anything to apologize for. Still they can’t move - not until Yuchan’s knot has gone soft and Byeongkwan’s stomach is bloated. When he can pull out, he carefully brings Byeongkwan back down on his feet. Cum rolls down the backs of his legs and soaks into the pants bunched at his feet.

"Need.. to make you something stronger..."

* * *

“There’s one condition,” Byeongkwan says, pushing the collar across the counter to Yuchan.

Yuchan picks it up carefully, testing the weight of the leather, and squishing his thumb into the suction that would hug his neck. It’s a thick piece, and the spikes on it suit an aesthetic that Byeongkwan hopes fits his look. Because Byeongkwan did make it with that intention.

“What is it?”

“The charm on this one is stronger, but I need to make sure it’ll actually hold this time.” So they’re not put in a position again. Byeongkwan swallows around the nerves blocking his throat. He doesn’t want to take advantage of Yuchan and his weakness again… “You’ll need to work for me, so I can see the signs of you breaking before it happens. Then, maybe we can figure out what to actually do for you.”

"So… I’m gonna be your errand dog?” Yuchan asks, looking at Byeongkwan. Byeongkwan notices something in the tightness of his expression. Fear? Guilt grows in Byeongkwan’s stomach. Of course he’d be scared…

"Just until I know that collar will be enough, yes. Then you can go live your life however you want."

Yuchan rubs his thumbs over the leather again - contemplating something. When he speaks up again he hands the collar over to Byeongkwan and for a second Byeongkwan believes he’s being turned down. That he’ll find another way to contain himself after all. And then Yuchan leans across the counter - his fingers press into the valleys where his claws drug down the wood.

“Okay.”

* * *

"Hey Yuchannie~” Junhee sing-songs through the phone. “What can I get for you today?" Yuchan’s only ever seen Junhee on the tv for press conferences and the cover of magazines, never met him in person. He’s some important PR/Public persona for one of controlling Covens of the area, and Byeongkwan’s personal contact for specific supplies for the shop.

“Byeongkwan says he needs more of the Mugroot.”

“More?” Junhee questions, and then there’s rustling on the other side of the phone, Junhee mumbles something to someone else. “You guys going through it yourselves?”

Yuchan chuckles and shakes his head. “No. But, we’ve had more interest. I guess there’s some… trend going on, and Byeongkwan’s shop was mentioned online.”

Junhee sighs, but it sounds like he’s not surprised in the least. “Okay, I’ll get you guys another shipment, but on one condition.” Yuchan bites the inside of his cheek - it’s the first Junhee’s hit him with a ‘condition’. "Tell Byeongkwan to keep you on full time, kay? Cause I love talking to you waaay more than him."

Yuchan laughs loudly, catching the attention of the shopkeeper's curious gase. "Ssshh he will hear you,” he teases, watching Byeongkwan try and hide his curious lean closer.

“Good! He should. Oh, shoot, Yuchan I gotta let you go. If there’s anything else you guys need just send me a text with the list. I’ll get it for you by the end of the week.”

Byeongkwan walks around the counter and approaches Yuchan where he’s sitting at a table of teas. “What did he say?”

Yuchan grins, watching Byeongkwan’s eyes linger over the table rather than on Yuchan. “He’ll get us the supplies. And he thinks you should hire me full time.” Byeongkwan snorts. The way his shoulders slump tells Yuchan he was worried about something, and Yuchan’s mind wanders to the sex.

And, just like that, Yuchan steps away from Byeongkwan, putting some distance between them. What had been a light joke from Junhee was a reminder of the guilt Yuchan hides inside him over that evening. And, Byeongkwan shying away from Yuchan leaves him no room to question. He’d used Byeongkwan, and surely Byeongkwan wanted nothing more than to be rid of Yuchan. The collar… His curse or whatever it was, was the one thing leaving him there. A sense of obligation Yuchan was sure Byeongkwan felt he had to fill.

The silence lingers between them, until Yuchan makes the choice to step away. “I’m.. gonna go check the stock.. See if there’s anything else to add to Junhee’s list.” Byeongkwan doesn’t deny Yuchan his escape.  
When Yuchan comes back out with his list of supplies Byeongkwan is gone. No surprise there, though it still stings… As much as Yuchan doesn’t want to be a reminder of regrets, he feels like his presence is just one big painful regret.

Byeongkwan doesn’t return anytime soon to no surprise of Yuchan. Every ring of the bell above that door has him perking up, hoping it’ll be him. Hoping that despite his surety of Byeongkwan’s feelings toward him, he will still want Yuchan near.

He helps customers as they come and go, until one approaches him with a wrapped package in his hands, rather than the expected lists of supplies, or merchandise already picked out. Yuchan’s nose picks up on the strong stink of rot on the man - an unfortunate smell to have lingering - but he doesn’t look rotten, or even dirty. He places the package on the counter and tilts his head when looking Yuchan up and down.

“So… You’re the new puppy he mentioned,” The man says, and Yuchan’s face goes red. Puppy? The man’s lips turn up into a weak smile, which, on the sollom expression he has, only makes him look more sad.

All Yuchan can muster is a quick, “Excuse me?”

The man’s laugh is light and quick before he holds his hand out. “I’m Donghun,” A name Yuchan knew, but had never met. Byeongkwan’s friend. Another practitioner, which Yuchan vaguely remembers Byeongkwan explaining to him.

"This is a gift for Byeongkwan, but I didn’t see his car in the side yard. Is he out?”

“Yeah,” Yuchan says softly, and reaches out to touch the box. As much as he is curious about the contents within, his mind lingers on the words before. “Puppy?”

Donghun looks unruffled by Yuchan’s question, like he’s enjoying watching the man’s reaction. "Puppy. That's what he called you.” His smile is bordering on smug, and Yuchan clears his throat before avoiding the man’s sad eyes.

"Oh… What’s this for?” Yuchan asks, trying to change the subject.

Thankfully Donghun bites, pitying him surely and how easy it was to fluster him. He says calmly, "An anniversary."

That’s it. No further explanation. Yuchan nods his head quickly and swallows hard around the lump growing in his throat. "Oh.."

“Can you just make sure he gets it? I’m sure he knows to expect it already. But, I’ve got to run.” Yuchan agrees quietly. And when Donghun leaves, Yuchan doesn’t realize how hard he squeezes the box.

Yuchan follows after him to the door - watches him wander out of view. That’s when Yuchan notices the man across the street watching the shop with a blank stare. The man flicks a cigarette down to the ground and crushes it under his shoe - eyes never leaving Yuchan’s. It’s unsettling… Yuchan locks the door and the man walks after Donghun.

* * *

Byeongkwan returns to the shop locked and Yuchan idly cleans inside to prepare for his own leaving. His timing is perfect as the clouds roll in quickly, threatening to spill over with rain again. Had it not been for the coming rain, Byeongkwan would have stayed out longer and given Yuchan time to leave the shop without having to see Byeongkwan again for the day. He has no doubts that the younger man wanted to see Byeongkwan as little as possible.

Yuchan flinches when the door first unlocks - odd - and then there’s a flash of a smile on his face. Relief, perhaps? But Byeongkwan isn’t sure why Yuchan would feel relieved to be seeing him. He rushes over to the counter, resting his broom against it as he picks up a package. Byeongkwan slowly approaches, cautious to keep space between them - giving Yuchan the reins in coming closer if he wants.

“From a gentleman for you. He smelled like corpses,” Yuchan explains as Byeongkwan takes the package carefully in his hands.

"Hun,” Byeongkwan whispers, smiling at the box. A reminder of the first day he’d opened the shop.

He sets his keys down on the counter and takes the box in both hands to tear at the wrapping, exposing an intricately painted black box. When he opens it, Yuchan peers over his shoulder to see what’s inside. A deck. Freshly painted if its smell is anything for them to go off of. Each card is thick, sturdy, and bears details of bones and herbs on the fronts of them.

Just over his shoulder, Yuchan murmurs, "I didn't know." He sounds broken and sad over whatever he’s learned since Donghun came by.

Byeongkwan takes a moment to respond, taking a second to prepare himself for whatever judgements or pity Yuchan will throw his way. Pity was the worst part… Pity was a useless emotion that did nothing but cause embarrassment for the pitied and exonerate the pitier of their savior guilt. Byeongkwan hates pity. "Huh?" he asks, faking spacing out over looking at details of the cards.

When Byeongkwan turns to look at Yuchan the man is faking a smile to the best of his ability. It’s uncomfortable to see as Yuchan says, "That… you were with him?"

Byeongkwan’s face goes red and he squeezes the deck in his hands. "....Huh?" With… With Donghun?

"He said it was an anniversary gift,” Yuchan explains.

It takes him a moment to make sense of the sad puppy eyes lingering on the cards mixing with Yuchan’s words, but Byeongkwan can’t help his laugh when he realizes. Not pity then. And a clear misunderstanding."Yeah. It is an anniversary gift, but he and I are not together. The shop has been open for three years today."

Yuchan physically relaxes, letting out a sigh of air he probably hadn’t realized he was holding. Byeongkwan notices though. Watching Yuchan’s lips turn up in a smile he was trying to hide felt… Like a trick. Like Yuchan was hoping he and Donghun wasn’t something. Like he was relieved to know. Why would he hope for that?

Why would he care?

* * *

Tension between the two eases up as they continue to spend their days in quiet peace with one another. Since Donghun’s first appearance the man’s not returned, but Yuchan hears Byeongkwan talking to him on the phone nearly every day. The prior tension - both men walking around each other in hopes to keep the other from running - begins slipping away. More frequently, lingering touches are shared between them. Byeongkwan feels Yuchan growing closer, staying longer days, and offering more around the shop. So, it’s not as big a shock when Yuchan asks about the coming holidays. The snow has already begun to fall leaving the world in a heavy air of holiday prep.

“You have any family you plan on visiting?” Yuchan asks, chewing on a piece of dried meat from his lunch.

Byeongkwan doesn’t, hasn’t in years. “None that would want to see me anyway."

"Oh…" Yuchan doesn’t pry further, something Byeongkwan appreciates whenever a hard topic comes up between the two men. Yuchan never pushes for information, leaving Byeongkwan in charge of sharing what he wants.

And, had it been years prior, perhaps Byeongkwan would’ve been more upset by the question, but he’s alone now, and has been for far too long to be upset any longer at the loss of those he’d once called family. The lingering feelings left for them were anything but sadness from his loss. However, to ease Yuchan’s worries of overstepping, Byeongkwan poses the same question to him without any explanation. "And yourself?"

"I don't have a family." The same…. Somewhat.

"I see,” Byeongkwan says, looking at Yuchan. He has stopped eating to instead pick at his food. As much as Yuchan tries to keep his emotions to himself and to refrain from burdening Byeongkwan, his actions speak so loudly and reveal so much. A nervousness of the coming season and holiday. Being alone when the rest of the world is with those they love.

Before Byeongkwan can think too much about it, he offers, "You can stay with me, if you'd like."

Yuchan perks up, but tries hard to not look excited.

* * *

“They just finished it up yesterday, so, your timing is perfect,” The jeweler explains, returning from the back room hidden by a purple velvet curtain.

Yuchan holds his hands out to take the ring carefully and inspect the piece. Turns it over in his hands to look at the stones buried into the iron band, and then the ruins carved into the inside. The craftsmanship in it is very apparent, and Yuchan can feel the weight of the magic bound to the piece.

“You picked a good piece for its purpose.”

Yuchan grins, and hands the ring back. “Thanks. I hope he’ll like it.” The jeweler places the ring in a small pull string bag and then in a paper bag before handing Yuchan the receipt and the wrapped ring.

“Now,” the jeweler pulls a small box across the counter to Yuchan. Inside is a padlock and a key. Seeing the metal, Yuchan instinctively rubs at his throat, just below the collar hugging his skin carefully. “The key is a back up, in case the ring is damaged or lost. I recommend not losing this, since the three were made together. However, should anything really bad go wrong, and you don’t have access to either, we’ve kept a back up as well. But, after that backup is used, the lock will be useless, and you won’t be able to unlock it again.”

Yuchan reaches out to take the box off the counter as well, and tuck it under the paper bag. He gives a nod of understanding, and thanks the man before taking his leave.

It had taken some time for Yuchan to settle on this gift for Byeongkwan. Ever since he had invited Yuchan to stay with him for the holidays, actually, Yuchan had been stumbling on what to get the man. He wanted it to be something thoughtful, to show how much he appreciates everything Byeongkwan has done for him over the last few months. But also, a confession. An admittance of feelings that, out of respect for Byeongkwan, Yuchan had kept to himself as they rapidly grew for the witch.

Holding it back anymore would only bring discomfort, and Yuchan knows he’d grow to resent the man if he wasn’t honest with himself and with Byeongkwan. The last thing he wants is for his feelings to turn hateful over a lack of communication on his own part.

Yuchan reminds himself of this for the hours that he waits before giving the ring to Byeongkwan. Will he like it? Will he understand what Yuchan was trying to say? Was this going to be too much? Would Byeongkwan reject him? How would Yuchan handle that? All worries that made his fingers twitch when he passes the folded brown paper over to Byeongkwan when they sit down on Byeongkwan’s couch for the evening.

Byeongkwan’s brows knit together, confusion lining his expression. They’d not discussed gift giving, and seeing the sudden panic moving over Byeongkwan’s expression when he realizes, Yuchan clears his throat to explain. “A thank you. I wasn’t expecting to make it this long, and frankly, it’s all thanks to you that I have.”

The witch is slow to unfold the bag and pull out the tiny velvet bag inside. By then it’s obvious what it is, but Byeongkwan doesn’t say anything until he’s pulled the ring out. His immediate response - a gasp and tight grip of the ring - feels genuine. “Yuchan, you didn’t have to.”

“I know… But, I wanted to.” Yuchan smiles and reaches to gently wrap his fingers around Byeongkwan’s wrist. “It’s spelled. I did some research and found a guy who was capable of doing what I was looking for.”

“I’m not familiar with these ruins,” Byeongkwan admits, finally spotting the designs inside the band. When he looks back up from the ring, Yuchan’s holding open the box with the padlock inside.

Both share a cautious gaze, trying to read each other and what the intent is behind the gift. “The collar…. Right now, if I wanted, I could take the collar off whenever I wanted. I don’t… I don’t want to take it off. I don’t want this to be a choice of just mine.”

I want it to be yours.

Saying it was hard, but Byeongkwan’s careful touch of the lock showed his understanding of the intention. This would tie Yuchan to him completely - would leave his future entirely in Byeongkwan’s hands. Yuchan wants him to have this power over him… Could he accept this? “Yuchan, I-”

Yuchan interrupts before Byeongkwan can find the words he wants to say. “It’s spelled to the ring, so it can only be unlocked with it. The key is a backup, in case… but… I wanted…” Yuchan looks up to Byeongkwan, who’s focus is back on the padlock. Rather than continuing, Yuchan tilts his chin up, exposing his neck and the collar to Byeongkwan. When the witch looks up to Yuchan, wondering why he’d stopped speaking, he’s left looking at the long line of his throat, and the nervous way Yuchan swallows.

Though it’s only a few seconds, it feels too long that the silence sits between them. Byeongkwan struggles with himself as he lifts the lock from the box and rubs his thumb over the smooth metal. “Are you sure?” He asks, because he needs Yuchan to be sure. He needs Yuchan to know what he was offering to Byeongkwan, and Byeongkwan needs to hear Yuchan confirm it. He needs to know he isn’t imagining this. All the dancing around each other, Byeongkwan thought was regret, but this…

“I’m sure…”

Byeongkwan reaches out to hook his finger under the collar and pull Yuchan closer. The padlock’s hook was perfectly fitted to the ring that stuck out of a hole behind the collars buckle. If he were to put the padlock through it the leather strap would not be able to move through the buckle, leaving Yuchan locked in the collar.

“I thought… I thought you hated me - that I’d made you uncomfortable after... “ Byeongkwan stumbles over his words, and Yuchan tilts his chin back down. The avoiding touches, and distance Yuchan had felt, Byeongkwan had been worried about the same things.

A bright chuckle leaves Yuchan as he puts together the pieces. “We felt the same.” Byeongkwan’s lips twist and he avoids Yuchan’s confident gaze. “I thought you hated me… And I felt guilty for… enjoying what we did. But, I can’t deny my feelings, and perhaps all of this was selfish, to put you in a position that you had to be faced with my feelings for you bu-”

Yuchan’s explanation is cut off by Byeongkwan - he firmly plants his hand on the back of Yuchan’s head and pulls him in. Finally they get to feel each other’s lips. Finally they don’t shy away from each little touch from each other.

He kisses back, desperate and hungry for Byeongkwan. All the time he spent thinking about this moment comes out in the surge forward as his fingers reach out to card through Beongkwan’s pink dyed hair. He pulls the witch closer, moves himself forward, and whines into Byeongkwan’s mouth.

The moment is too short, and incredibly long, leaving Yuchan unsure when Byeongkwan breaks the kiss. So, he just moves. He doesn’t think about it, just knows what he’s wanted to do for too long. He slides himself down to the floor and spreads Byeongkwan’s legs for him to sit between. Teeth graze over denim, fingers slide between tears to touch the intense heat of Byeongkwan’s skin under his jeans. He salivates at the heat - at the thought of getting to sink his teeth into Byeongkwan’s thick thighs and suck dark bruises into his incredibly pale skin. "You don’t have to," the witch whispers on a hiccup of a breath.

"I want to,” Yuchan groans, pressing his cheek into Byeongkwan’s thigh, mere inches away from the growing tightness of his jeans. “But… only if you want to." Byeongkwan knows he's telling the truth. He cards his fingers through Yuchan’s hair, sucks in a breath when Yuchan’s eyes close and he moans at the ever so slight grip Byeongkwan takes of his hair. And then his hands pull from Yuchan’s head. They scramble at his jeans, popping the button to his torn jeans and lifting his hips to push them off. Yuchan’s hands are just as quick, hooking into the waist and pulling them down to his ankles.

He kisses back up his thighs, leaving light bites a little harder now as he moves back up, just to listen to Byeongkwan’s restrained gasps. The witch holds his cock, thick and drooling, at the base and watches Yuchan lick his lips.

Yuchan opens his mouth, lets his tongue fall out slowly and looks up at Byeongkwan through his eyelashes. Use him. Byeongkwan presses his cockhead onto the soft and slick warmth of Yuchan’s tongue and waits for Yuchan to close his mouth around him. The cracks in his cruelly chewed lips break, and blood mixes with the saliva as his head bobs carefully over his cock.

He cards his fingers back through Yuchan’s hair and presses his fingertips firmly into the back of Yuchan’s head. Much to his surprise, Yuchan thrives under the pressure of guidance, and lets his slow bob slow again in order to get Byeongkwan to pull his head forward, controlling the pace. He needs Byeongkwan to do this - to guide and control him. Show him what he likes. Show him what he needs. Even if he knows how to blow him, Byeongkwan knows he wants to be used in whatever way will please him.

The pace Byeongkwan sets with the pull of Yuchan’s head, and thrust of his hips brings him closer to the edge than he expected. But years of a lack of intimate touch can do that, and Byeongkwan huffs as his thighs tense at the threaten of his coming orgasm. Yuchan’s eyes roll when his thighs squeeze around his head, keeping him close. A low groan leaves the witch seeing how his thighs around his head gets Yuchan off. The little gurgle and rut of his hips at Byeongkwan’s feet tells him everything. "Y-you like that?" He asks,. And, to his delight, Yuchan nods andtucks his arms under Byeongkwan’s legs - he hikes them up higher and gives Byeongkwan the freedom to squeeze tighter.

With the extra squeeze, Byeongkwan easily holds Yuchan’s head down on his cock when the rush of his orgasm finally hits.

When Byeongkwan relaxes - mostly down from the rush, and legs trembling - Yuchan sits back on his heels. A swipe of his tongue over his swollen lips, and then he’s on his feet. Byeongkwan watches through a daze as Yuchan straddles one of his thighs and clings to Byeongkwan’s shirt collar.

“Can… Can I?” Yuchan asks with a slight cant forward of his hips.

He hooks a finger into Yuchan’s collar and tugs it, bringing Yuchan close enough to feel Byeongkwan’s hot breath on his lips. "Make a mess of yourself for me puppy."  
It’s all the permission he needs to slide his hands behind Byeongkwan’s neck. Tangles his fingers together and arches his hips to get the right angle when he thrusts forward. The bulge in his pants grinds slowly over Byeongkwan’s bare thigh, and all the witch can focus on is the way Yuchan’s eyes flutter shut, and the shy little moans that he bites back, swallowing until he can’t help himself. Until the jerking of his hips becomes erratic, and Yuchan needs Byeongkwan’s hands on his hips to guide them in a rhythm.

All Byeongkwan see’s is how beautiful Yuchan is. How the light from the setting sun highlights the curve of his back as he grinds on his thigh. The drying blood on his still cracked lips bubbling up when Yuchan pulls his bottom lip between his teeth. He’s so close already, just as touch starved and desperate as Byeongkwan had been.

He leans forward, cupping Yuchan’s face with one hand and startling the other man. "Move in with me…"

Yuchan whines, leaning the entirety of his weight against Byeongkwan. His thighs tense and squeeze Byeongkwan’s as his orgasm hits.

* * *

Seeing where Yuchan lives, Byeongkwan puts together the willing long days spent at the shop and the eagerness of Yuchan to stay with Byeongkwan when offered.

He doesn’t own much, and most of what he does - or what is salvageable anyway - fits in Byeongkwan’s car for one comfortable trip back to the shop. And it is only a couple trips back and forth before all of Yuchan’s things are moved into the apartment above the shop.

“Thanks for your help,” Yuchan smiles, whipping the sweat from the back of his neck with the collar of his t-shirt. Byeongkwan’s biceps flex through the t-shirt and Yuchan licks his lips seeing the stretch of fabric. He doesn’t avoid looking now. Happily oogles at the other man, and Byeongkwan loves the attention.

Yuchan follows Byeongkwan back out to the car just to watch him lock up. However, his eyes fall on a man standing across the street, a familiar coat, and a flick of a cigarette, and Yuchan remembers where he’s seen him from before. When Donghun had come, bringing gifts, the same man was standing across the street and watching the shop. Before it was unsettling, but now it was wrong. He wasn't supposed to be there. Why is he watching the shop? With a gentle squeeze, he pinches Byeongkwan’s side and nods at the man.

Byeongkwan’s first glance looks confused, Yuchan opens his mouth to ask if he knew him, but Byeongkwan beats him to speaking. “Get inside. Now.” There’s no room to question his tone - a command for something Yuchan doesn’t understand, but feels the severity of it.

He follows Yuchan in quickly, and scrambles to lock the door behind them. His keys shake in his hands - a struggle to keep them aligned as he secures the door. Fear soaks his clothes in a sour scent, and Yuchan can smell it coming off in waves. An urge to shrink down, slouching slightly, overcomes him, and Yuchan watches as Byeongkwan jumps around the shop.

He runs to the next door, and locks every window he passes on his way. Yuchan watches, unsure of the danger, and panic rising at the lack of direction from Byeongkwan. He just needs Byeongkwan to tell him what to do. How to help - what he needs. Anything. But Byeongkwan keeps to himself until he's back at Yuchan's side. Wards hang onto the shop like a cage, keeping them inside and protected from who, or whatever was outside.

"Byeongkwan, can I help with anything?" He finally musters the courage to ask, reaching out to take Byeongkwan's hand and help ease some of his panic.

Byeongkwan shakes his hand off and points upstairs. "Go, get up there, I'm following right behind you, but please, just go." His voice is stretched thin, and soft. Terrified - Yuchan only whines at the instructions before caving and running up the stairs to the small studio above.

When in the safety of the small space - door from the stairs to them locked just as tightly as the rest - Yuchan walks back onto the couch and drops himself down. Had he a tail it would be tucked between his legs - a clear sign of his worry and discomfort. However, all he can do is pull his knees up to his chest and wait. "What's going on?" He asks, looking for any answer or explanation for what just triggered all of this.

Byeongkwan drops to his knees and crawls to the edge of his bed. He pulls bags and boxes out from underneath - only stopping when he pulls a small ornate chest out. A key on one of his bracelets is jabbed into the lock, and when unlocked, reveals important documents, a small wad of bills, and identification. And two smaller boxes. One that holds the key to the padlock on yuchan's collar, and the other was a velvety black.

He takes the second box out, dumps the contents in his hand, and reaches out for Yuchan's hands at last.

Yuchan, finally getting some sort of contact with Byeongkwan, holds his hands and pulls him close. "Talk to me... Please."

"Keep this," he says calmly, dropping a ornate ring into Yuchan's hand and closing Yuchan's fist around it tightly. "Keep it always on you, never, ever take it off... Not until I can take it back from you."

"I don't understand, and you keep dodging my questions!" Yuchan finally snaps, grabbing a fist of Byeongkwan's shirt to keep him still. That’s when Byeongkwan breaks. His eyes well up with tears, and the terror turns to sobs.

Through the sobs, he tries to explain, "There are people that can't know where I am. And that man... I believe that man was a warning."

A warning... Yuchan swallows the pit in his stomach. A warning he'd had weeks prior, but never thought anything of it.

"Just keep this ring on you. Promise me. If anything happens, you'll never let this ring out of your sight."

It's all Yuchan can do - agree. It's the only thing that gets Byeongkwan to relax, sucking in a breath and finally letting himself crumble. Yuchan crawls closer to Byeongkwan and pulls him into his arms.

"C'mon," Yuchan encourages gently, standing slowly and using his grip on Byeongkwan's arms to pull him up on his own feet. "Let's lay down."

Byeongkwan crawls into bed, Yuchan close behind, watching every little move Byeongkwan makes to be there for anything. The witch curls in on himself, hiding his face in a light hug of his arms. Yuchan climbs in behind him, and wraps his arms around the other man's middle.

He doesn't get an answer to what was happening, not a true one, but Yuchan can't push any further without Byeongkwan breaking down further. And, for the first time, Yuchan feels useless to help Byeongkwan. The exact thing he'd sworn to do - had begged Byeongkwan to allow him to do - he was failing. As quiet settles around the two of them, and the daylight slowly slips away, Yuchan allows himself to fall asleep with Byeongkwan tucked carefully in his embrace.

* * *

Yuchan wakes up to it raining. Nightmares of his hands soaking in warm gore, and pulling out the delicate insides of some poor victim. Nightmares he has frequently enough to mostly shake off with a few repeats of a mantra, “It’s just a dream. It was just a dream.”

In the dark quiet of Byeongkwan’s apartment... no. Their apartment - the rain sounds so much louder than it does down in the shop. City lights light up the walls behind the bed, and cover the two of them in a blanket of faded light.

Byeongkwan sleeps quietly, still tightly curled in on himself. His back is soaked in sweat - it sinks into Yuchan's clothes and leaves him with a slight chill as the cool air of the room rolls over them.

Still so scared, even in his sleep. Never has Yuchan seen Byeongkwan so petrified - so frantic to make sure his affairs were in order, even if small. Like the ring. Speaking of the ring, Yuchan lifts the arm holding Byeongkwan's waist. Holds it up to see how the stones placed carefully into the band of the ring glitter under the soft light from outside. They’re clear and match beautifully with the bright metallic white of the band.

He's not sure what this was, or what this meant for them. But he closes his fist, finger flexing in the band. He will keep Byeongkwan's request. He will not let the ring go.

* * *

Zippers and the rustling of plastic is what wakes Yuchan. Sunlight pours into the room down onto the floor, lighting the room up. A drastic change from the softness of the night lights Yuchan had previously been awake for.

With a trash bag in one hand, Byeongkwan tidies up his room quickly. Yuchan is ready to ask what energy had gotten into him, but his eyes instead fall on the duffle bag packed and placed next to the door.

He sits up in bed with a groan, but it does nothing to pull Byeongkwan's attention to him. "Hey," Yuchan mumbles, reaching out to take hold of Byeongkwan's hand as he walks by. Yuchan smacks his tongue a few times, mouth sticky and dry. "What's going on?" He asks softly to start out, and Byeongkwan clears his throat.

"What do you mean?"

"The bag."

Byeongkwan lifts the trash in his hand and mutters, " Garbage?" Yuchan groans and points to the bag by the door.

“What’s that?” he gestures.

Byeongkwans eyes fall anywhere but on Yuchan. “Nothing.”

“It’s nothing?" Yuchan scoffs, now feeling his own frustration building up. "Byeongkwan, you’re still panicking. What do you need a getaway bag for?” Byeongkwan drops whatever is in his hands, runs his fingers through his hair, and turns away from Yuchan. “Were you planning on taking me with you?”

“It’ll be dangerous for you,” is the only answer Yuchan gets. It’s short, and cuts right through his frustration.

“Seriously?” Yuchan snaps, now no longer holding back the bubbling anger.

“Yuchan-”

“No, Byeongkwan, are you serious?” He interrupts, “I can turn into a huge, dangerous, ugly, monster dog! I can absolutely defend myself, and I can defend you." ”

Byeongkwan tries to fight Yuchan’s offer, and his anger with his own denial. “You don’t know what you’re up against.”

“Do you?”

Quiet settles between them. Byeongkwan’s attempts to wiggle away from Yuchan and his glares stops. He twists his lips and Yuchan knows he’s holding back saying what he wants. So, he will continue to speak.

“Byeongkwan, you’ve got me right here. Let me protect you. Use me. Use this… thing inside me. Give me a purpose, please,” he whispers, pressing himself against Byeongkwan’s back. He wraps his arms around the witch and nuzzles into his neck. Just like before, he can smell the bitterness of his fear rolling off him in waves - he can feel it in the way his muscles tense under the light touch of Yuchan’s fingers. “Let me protect you… please, you can’t just run away and leave me here alone.”

Byeongkwan holds as still as he can through his trembling,, but still finds the courage to turn around and bury his face in Yuchan’s shoulder. Hugs him tightly. “Let me protect you…”

* * *

It’s a few days before Byeongkwan opens the shop again. He’s neurotic about the wards around the shop when he does. Everything needs to be perfect. In order. Yuchan watches him check the same bottle four or five times before he accepts he’s put it up correctly, and then he moves on to the small painted sigils around the windows and doors.

Interrupting him would be a mistake, so Yuchan watches from a distance while he sets up the till and puts out neglected merchandise.

The shop being open brings back some comfort to Byeongkwan, Yuchan notices. Seeing no one dangerous come in gives him the confidence to agree when Yuchan suggests going out for food. It takes a lot of promising Yuchan will not leave his side and will tear open anyone that Byeongkwan asks. Anyone.

Dinner is short and sweet, but it brings back a little more of Byeongkwan’s smile Yuchan had been trying to help him find again. Nothing happens, just as Yuchan promises, which builds Byeongkwan’s confidence back up. It gives Byeongkwan the courage to tap Yuchan’s foot with his own from under the table. The surprise on Yuchan’s face at the touch gets Byeongkwan chuckling, and Yuchan melts at the sight. The way Byeongkwan holds his hand over his mouth when he can’t help but smile just makes Yuchan want to make him smile more.

A few more drinks in between the two of them, and their dinner packed up in boxes, and the two of them walk hand in hand home. Comfort in each other and the warmth of alcohol encourages them both to pull each other closer - clinging to one another once they stumble into the comfort of the shop. Their bag of leftovers is dropped on the counter, and Byeongkwan tugs Yuchan by his pant loops into his space. It’s no surprise feeling Byeongkwan’s erection - Yuchan could smell the arousal pooling into him as soon as the shop came into sight. But, now in the quiet between them Yuchan act on that scent.

He tucks his hands just under Byeongkwan’s ears, cupping his face to pull him in gently for a kiss. Byeongkwan is quick to bite them, pulling a low groan from Yuchan that nearly sounds like a growl. He can feel his cock jump then, encouraging Yuchan to lift Byeongkwan up onto the counter and nose down the line of his throat.

“I want to eat you up,” Yuchan growls, and to his delight Byeongkwan spreads his legs.

“Then do it,” He whispers, just soft enough Yuchan can still hear him.

He drags Byeongkwan off the counter - easily holding him with the strength he lets slip through. He wants to take Byeongkwan up to their room, to take him apart slowly on their bed and watch him writhe and curse on his knot. The squeeze of Byeongkwan’s thighs around his hips, clinging to Yuchan as he carries him up the stairs, makes it near impossible not to just bend him over in the stairwell.

But they make it to the door. He carefully puts Byeongkwan back down on his feet, and opens the door.

The company waiting for them in the small studio is a shock to both - it makes it easy for the man waiting at the door to grab Byeongkwan by his hair and press the gun he has to the smaller man’s forehead.

“Welcome home,” he cooes, a wicked toothy grin coming to his face.

Yuchan is grabbed next, knife pressing into the pulse hammering through his neck. He moves carefully, keeping his eyes only on the way Byeongkwan’s face falls pale as the cold metal of the gun barrel digs into his cheek. The man walks Byeongkwan back up against the now shut door, and laughs, “God that was easier than I thought it would be.”

“I know. They said he’d be on high alert, but that was so easy,” The man cornering Yuchan chimes in before kicking Yuchan’s knees out from under him, knocking him down to his knees. “Okay dog. Do your job. You found him, no do what you’re good for?"

Confusion warps Byeongkwan’s features, and Yuchan stares wide eyed and scared back at him. "What?"

"Do you fucking job!" He’s yelled at - a hand takes a fist of his hair and shakes him hard enough for his scalp to burn at the pull. However, when that doesn’t get more than a weak whine out of him, the man crouches down to look Yuchan face to face. “Do you not know how to trigger it?"

"Should’ve figured it out by now,” the man holding Byeongkwan pipes up.

Byeongkwan shouts, despite the obvious terror in his face and shaking legs, “What the fuck are you on about?!”

"The bosses assumed you would’ve figured it out by now too, but it looks like you're not that smart after all.” The gun is pulled from his face and pointed at Yuchan next. “Who do you think sent your little puppy here to you?"

The colour leaves Yuchan’s face, and he can feel his limbs go numb. Braving a glance at Byeongkwan only makes his stomach flip. He can’t tell what he’s thinking. Can’t see what is running through the confusion in his face.

His voice betrays his attempt at confidence, cracking when he says, “I swear to god, I don’t know these men. I don’t know what they’re talking about.”

"Oh sure you do puppy,” one of the men says, “What do you think all those nightmares were? You know what you’re supposed to do."

Yuchan flinches at the dig of the blade into his throat, just under the leather of his collar, and then freezes realizing the nightmares he had been ignoring were a message… an instruction. Kill the witch. His eyes fall to the floor, unable to face Byeongkwan.

"Fuckin useless,” Yuchan’s captor hisses, and shoves his head down on the floor, releasing the fist of his hair. He stands up and brings a foot down onto Yuchan’s back, dragging a weak groan of pain, and Yuchan scrambling to get away from the offending shoe. For half a second, Byeongkwan feels brave, and lunges forward to get to Yuchan’s side, however the gun is returned to his person, and he’s shoved back up against the door.

The gun moves up his torso, as the man says, “Since he won't, guess we will."

"Let him go!"

Despite Byeongkwans terror, and his weak will to fight, Yuchan keeps fighting. He keeps attempting to stand even with the threat of a blade waving in his face. "Oh trying to be a hero now? You can't even shift. You're useless. And he owes us."

Fingers grip Byeongkwan by the throat then, and he scrambles to grip the wrist and pull it away. Claws at his wrist as his grip tightens. Sinks his nails in what he can and tears - slashes, rips at the man’s skin to no avail. It becomes increasingly obvious that they’re dragging this out to torture him. Because, if they had wanted to finish the job properly, he would’ve already crushed Byeongkwan’s throat in his hands. But this wasn’t about killing him. It was about terrorizing him. Punishing him for stealing and running away.

Out of his vision Yuchan gnashes human teeth at the person holding him back, just out of Byeongkwan’s reach. The two grapple at each other - shuffling frantically to try and one up each other. “Your guard dog’s pretty useless,” the man with his hands around his throat teases. Yuchan grunts, a crash follows the sound, and then a weak whimper.

Terrified, Byeongkwan shoves his arms out, pushing a wave of magic force at his attacker, only for the man to shiver and shake the wave off with no trouble.

“Try again,” he hisses.

“B-byeong.. kwan,” Yuchan whimpers from the other side of the room. It’s followed by a laugh and his attacker standing up. Yuchan cups his ribs - scrambles to stand but only manages to slide down to the floor in clear pain.

“Aaw your puppies bleeding,” the other man taunts. Byeongkwan needs to get to Yuchan.

A split second is all he needs, and when the man at his throat chuckles, finding humor in his partner’s comment, Byeongkwan gets his shot. Brings his knee up hard and slams it into the man’s groin. The hand on his throat fall away to instead grab at his throbbing groin and Byeongkwan scrambles back - kicks him away.

He can hear the man lose his stomach, and his partner laughs at his misfortune, rather than finding Byeongkwan a threat. To both of them, his magic was no threat. This allows him to crawl to Yuchan’s side - holds his tear streaked cheeks in his shaking hands. Yuchan groans, and pulls at the padlock on his collar. “L-lemme… Out,” he groans.

“He’s gonna bleed out. No sense in getting worked up,” the man explains as Byeongkwan scrambles to get a good grip of the padlock.

He wipes his fingers over it, a light green lighting up invisible runes on the lock, and the lock pops open. With the lock gone, he pulled frantically at the leather, freeing it from the buckle, and freeing Yuchan from it’s spell.

“Get’em,” Byeongkwan whispers.

Through the pain, Yuchan rips through his skin in seconds, revealing the beastly form they’d been taunting him for. As his jaw crack and teeth burst from his muzzle, and fur and claws tear through his skin, it’s clear a mistake was made. They’re trapped here with the beast.

A scramble of feet catches the horrifying beast’s yellow gaze, and Yuchan reaches out to grab at the man. His body fits just perfectly in the tight hold of his massive hands, and Yuchan sinks his claws into his torso as extra comfort that the man won’t escape his hold. He kicks and screams, flailing to try and escape despite the pain though.

The gun fires off from the other man, and it burns where it hits Yuchan’s chest. There’s a split second of relief that runs through the man, however when he watches the bullet be pushed out of Yuchan’s chest in bubbling gore and black ichor, his relief sinks to his feet. Yuchan lunges forward, teeth bared and mouth open. His head cracks in the strength of Yuchan’s jaw. Byeongkwan’s eyes can’t leave the rush of red that gushes between Yuchan’s teeth. When the twitching stops, yuchan drops the body, and turns his attention to the man wailing in his hand.

"You..h-hurt.. Byeongkwan," he growls, voice barely sounding like words.

Byeongkwan watches as he tears into the man's torso and drops him. His teeth tear into flesh and gore and pull. Pulls everything loose and shreds the meat until the body stops twitching.

"Yuchan," Bk manages to croak out from his spot on the floor in the corner of the room.

Yellow eyes turn and face the witch, watching him carefully. Byeongkwan, for a second, wonders if Yuchan’s still in there… still able to hold back tearing him open next. But when Yuchan approaches and bumps his black and red soaked muzzle against Byeongkwan’s chest, Byeongkwan can breathe again. He clings to the fur of the beast, ignoring the fluids soaking into his clothes. All he feels is relief.

The push of his massive hands, dangerous with the claws dancing just over his body, and the bump of his muzzle under Byeongkwan’s chin, Yuchan urges Byeongkwan onto his hands and knees. It’s clear the way he breathes heavy against the back of Byeongkwan’s neck what he’s looking for, and the witch can’t fight the burning in his chest knowing brings. The tingling in his fingertips as he claws at the floor and presses his chest down on the floor - offering himself to Yuchan. There’s just enough in Byeongkwan to remember his pants, and scrambles with the button to make it easier for Yuchan to bite and pull the denim down. But the courtesy of patience is lost when Yuchan pushes his hand up Byeongkwan’s back and he feels the wet and warmth slide down the wings of his shoulders. Yuchan’s hot tongue laps between his legs briefly, but the drool and blood is enough to leave him dripping in spit.

From his position, cheek pressing against the cold floor, Byeongkwan can see clear the bodies next to them soaking the carpet - still warm. Yuchan can smell them clinging to the air just as thick as the smell of Byeongkwan, aching hard and cock dripping onto the carpet.. Another fear reaction.. Adrenaline.. They’re alive. They’re both there. With each other. Feeling every bit of each other.

Yuchan grabs the back of his shirt with his teeth and pulls it - momentarily choking him on the collar before the fabric rips. He grabs the fabric with his claws and pulls it apart, leaving him with a shirt falling around his wrists and Yuchan’s sharp teeth grazing down the muscles in his back.

The warmth of his hands is wet. Blood. Yuchan smears it down his back where his teeth don’t reach. Oh, how easily he could destroy Byeongkwan - how anyone who ever caught them would think he was. Entering him hurts, but Byeongkwan lets out the loudest cry Yuchan’s heard and pushes himself back into the stretch of his cock.

He wants that.  
Wants the pain.

Yuchan towers over him when he places his hands on either side of Byeongkwan and thrusts forward. The witch’s arms shake, trying to keep himself up. A muzzle knocks against his ear and pants heavily. Weakly he reaches up, laying himself fully on the ground, to grab at his muzzle - his fingers dip in behind his teeth and Byeongkwan uses the hold to bring himself back up. His fingers slip under the warmth of his tongue, and Yuchan huffs in Byeongkwan’s ear.

“Y-yuchan,” he whimpers, and thrusts into him again. The push forward makes his fingers slip from his mouth - cutting his palm on the row of sharp fangs - and his hand drops to the floor, smearing blood across the floor as he tries to stabilize himself.

Yuchan sits up slightly, claws digging into Byeongkwan’s hips and then rocks hard, pushing himself deeper in.

“Please, please, please,” Byeongkwan whimpers, finally pressing his forehead into the floor. “Fuck, please, I wanna cum.”

* * *

"Nice to finally meet you in person," Junhee exclaims through his bright smile. His canines are pointed and Yuchan can’t help but lock onto them.

Byeongkwan weakly clears his throat, pulling a blanket tighter around his frame. "Sorry it's not under better circumstances.”

Junhee shakes his head and waves away the apology. He places his hands on his hips and looks back over his shoulder to the stairs leading up to the apartment. "No need to apologize, either of you. I should be thanking you,” he nods towards Yuchan, “for protecting my friend.”

The men Junhee had brought along with him are people Yuchan’s only heard of briefly, and only after finding himself mixed up in the affairs of witches. The tallest of the bunch Junhee introduces as Sanghyuk. "He helps me with cleaning up inevitable messes, like this." Which the implication Yuchan tries not to linger on.

He turns to look at Byeongkwan, and reaches out to touch the quiet witch’s cheek. Byeongkwan blinks the daze from his eyes and looks to Yuchan. Even though the danger has passed, he’s still terrified.

Sanghyuk returns from upstairs and raises a brow when he looks at the three men waiting for his assessment. "Really? Next to the bodies?" Junhee chuckles when Yuchand and Byeongkwan quickly avoid the eyes of everyone. “It’s a big mess, but nothing I haven’t done before. We’ll get the bodies out, and Jaehwan will call in a cleaner for the stains.”

Junhee thanks him as he leaves the shop to get the attention of those waiting outside for him. The rest of Sanghyuk’s coven joins them inside once their van is parked in the alley by the shop's side door. Two men walk upstairs with bags and both return with the bodies inside them, hidden from any curious eyes.

"Nice to meet you both." He speaks like he’s singing, soft and melodic. And Yuchan can’t not listen to him as he speaks. Byeongkwan’s eyes go wide seeing the man approach them. Byeongkwan knows Hakyeon. Or, knows of him. There's not a witch in the country that doesn't know his face, or their coven sigil. Their coven was a well known coven with ties to politics and big corporations. Deep pockets bring power. For Byeongkwan, they were the reason why he and Junhee became business partners. The materials their coven had access to were of a higher grade than Byeongkwan’s usual access. So, he couldn’t turn down that access.

However, Byeongkwan has never expected to be in their presence.

"Ohhh, I know you," Hakyeon smiles, holding out his hand for Byeongkwan to shake. "We've been watching you for a while now.” Byeongkwan swallows around the lump in his throat. Had the men across the street been the wrong coven? Not Byeongkwan’s old one, but rather Hakyeon’s? "Kind of surprised you ended up alive this evening too.... That is, until you finally revealed what you were," he points to Yuchan, who feels like shrinking under their heavy gaze.

"You can't stay here tonight," Junhee speaks up. Byeongkwan knows he's right. There's no chance that more of the intrudor’s coven won't come looking for the men when they don't check in.

Eyes fall onto Yuchan - all but Byeongkwan’s.

"I don't have a place of my own... sorry,” Yuchan explains.

"No, it's okay," Byeongkwan sighs. Junhee follows after with a sigh of his own, and folds his arms over his chest.

"Well... I have something you'll need then, don't I?"

"Multiple things," Leo, standing just behind Hakyeon, finally pipes up. Hakyeon nods his head and looks back and forth between the two men. Information about Yuchan, and a safe place to stay. A very powerful tool to have on their side.

"Alright. So, you need a place to stay, and no doubt have questions about what you are," Hakyeon points to Yuchan. “So, I’ll make you an offer.”

"What kind,” Byeongkwan is quick to hesitate. He knows the deals witches can make.

"We will provide anything you'll need. A place to stay, information, safety, and no owed debt for disposing of those two. And in exchange, you'll accompany Junhee at all times as his private security."

"Security?" Byeongkwan looks to Junhee, confusion twisting his expression. Junhee merely shrugs and smiles.

"Kwannie, I don't know how to fight," Yuchan whispers, fidgeting in his seat.

"You won't need to," Hakyeon says calmly. "Most of the back-up Junhee needs is just a scary face. That's what you'd be used for, Yuchan. And then, for the times where a little muscle will actually be needed... Ken will be training you." Yuchan looks to Byeongkwan for guidance. An answer to what he should do, or what to expect, however Byeongkwan just looks to Hakyeon with skepticism written all over his face. He’s expecting something. A catch. Hakyeon speaks up again, to which Byeongkwan’s jaw clenches, “Oh… And I’ll be taking that ring of yours.”

Yuchan reaches up to tough his bare throat, still free of the collar that he’d grown so used to wearing over the last few months. The ring to his collar… He looks to Byeongkwan and waits for his response. Would he give the control over Yuchan up? Would he give Yuchan up?

Hakyeon seems to catch onto Yuchan’s confusion, and looks to Byeongkwan. They wait for him to say something. Anything. But nothing comes. So, finally Hakyeon speaks again, “Not for the collar, Yuchan. The ring you’re wearing,” he gestures to Yuchan’s hands. "So... What'll it be?"

He’d swore to never let the ring go. No matter what, he was not to take the ring off until Byeongkwan asks for it. Still, the witch doesn’t agree with them, and all Yuchan can smell is the same terror on Byeongkwan from hours before.

Junhee breaks the silence with a hand offered out to Byeongkwan. “We can give you a night to think about it… you’ve had a rough one. Let’s get you showered and rested, and then we can discuss it tomorrow.”

* * *

Byeongchan wakes to the heavy weight of Yuchan curled protectively around him as he sleeps. They had been settled into one of Junhee’s guest rooms and offered clean clothes and a shower - both things they couldn’t turn down. Yuchan helped clean the blood off Byeongkwan’s back, and in turn Byeongkwan scrubbed the blood from Yuchans face and torso. And, once clean, they had crawled into bed clinging to each other and completely exhausted. The second their eyes closed, they were out until the sun peaked in through the blinds in the room, and shone brightly over Byeongkwan’s face.

Yuchan sturs, waking naturally, and snuggles up to the dip between Byeongkwans shoulder and neck. Both sit in the quiet for a moment, waiting for the other to say something first.

"Yuchan... I think… At least I need to take this job," Byeongkwan finally says softly. "They'll keep coming back for me, I know they will... And I know they're just going to get stronger and harder to fight and escape."

"And they’ll expect me now…” Yuchan whispers back. His fingers trace mindless designs with the rise and fall of Byeongkwan’s chest. Quiet falls between them as they collect their own thoughts. It was clear what they both needed to do now. Though they don't know what the job all entails, or what to expect, they know this is their best shot at survival. "I'll follow you wherever," Yuchan says.

**Author's Note:**

> As always, if you'd like to learn more about this AU and see more exclusive content, feel free to follow me on twitter at Omegatits. Please have your age listed somewhere on your account to be allowed access.


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